Young inspires Inter to runner-up spot
Ashley Young was the inspiration with a goal and an assist as Inter Milan concluded its Serie A campaign by beating Atalanta 2-0 to secure a second-place finish.
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Any one of Inter, its hosts and Lazio could have clinched the runner-up spot behind champion Juventus on Sunday (AEST), but the Nerazzurri, who were second going into the final round of fixtures, produced a professional and clinical display away to an Atalanta side that was nowhere near its exhilarating best.
Just 50 seconds had elapsed before Danilo D'Ambrosio gave Inter the lead from a pinpoint Young delivery, before the former Manchester United captain scored a gorgeous goal to put Inter in complete control.
Atalanta, reportedly missing star man Josip Ilicic for personal reasons, rarely looked capable of clawing its way back into the contest, but nevertheless finished third for a second season running despite Inter coasting to a straightforward win.
Antonio Conte's side enjoyed an emphatic start as it took the lead inside the first minute, D'Ambrosio heading in Young's cross after Pierluigi Gollini came for the delivery and missed it.
Atalanta hardly registered a response and its task doubled in size in the 20th minute, Young this time doing it all alone as he cut in off the left flank and curled a sumptuous 25-yard effort into the bottom-right corner.
The curiously subdued hosts finally crafted an opening just before half-time, but once again Young was in the right place for Inter, this time blocking Mario Pasalic's volley after missing Alejandro Gomez's initial cross.
Excitement was even rarer in a generally monotonous second half, although Gomez did at least force Samir Handanovic into a necessary save in the 54th minute.
Atalanta enjoyed a little pressure in the latter stages, but Duvan Zapata's woeful poked effort was blazed high, before Ruslan Malinovskiy drilled a couple of efforts wide from distance.
Both sides turn their attentions toward Europe now, with Atalanta set to face Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon on 13 August (AEST) in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Inter heads to Gelsenkirchen, where it will go up against Spanish side Getafe for a place in the last eight of the UEFA Europa League next Thursday (AEST).